This invention relates to an improved draft gear removal apparatus for the removal of draft gear from railcars.
During normal operation of a railcar the draft gear connecting the railcar coupler to the center sill of the railcar is removed from the railcar for repair or replacement. One type of prior draft gear removal apparatus used to remove the draft gear of a railcar has utilized a scissors type portable or movable lifting apparatus having wheels mounted on the bottom thereof extending entirely therebelow and having a hydraulic compression type draft gear device mounted on the upper surface thereof with the hydraulic compression type draft gear device utilizing a hydraulic cylinder to compress the railcar draft gear and four fixed hydraulic cylinders to bear against the center sill of the railcar to remove the compressed draft gear therefrom.
While the prior draft gear removal apparatus has proved generally satisfactory, since the apparatus utilizes wheels mounted entirely below the base of the apparatus, it is necessary to use small diameter wheels in order to obtain sufficient vertical clearance to satisfactorily remove the compressed draft gear from the railcar center sill which thereby causes the apparatus to be difficult to move on rough and uneven surfaces since the heavily loaded apparatus has a high rolling resistance due to the small wheels. Also, since the hydraulic compression draft gear device utilizes four fixed hydraulic cylinders to bear against the center sill of the railcar the placement of the hydraulic cylinders cannot be varied to accomodate varying conditions of orientation of the draft gear with respect to the center sill so that the compressed draft gear may be removed in the most efficient manner.
Another prior art type draft gear removal apparatus utilizes a scissors type portable or movable lifting apparatus having a base which may be moved about by forklift vehicles, which may have flanged wheels thereon for installation on rails or which may have flanged wheels and pneumatic tired wheels thereon. Mounted on the upper surface of the scissors type lifting apparatus is a hydraulic compression type draft gear device having a fastening means thereon to secure the same to the upper surface of the lifting apparatus.
This type of draft gear removal apparatus tends to be large in size when equipped with both flanged wheels and pneumatic tired wheels since the pneumatic tired wheels are located outboard the flanged wheels and are of large diameter to prevent contact of the flanged wheels and the earth. Also, the draft gear removal device lacks any means to bear against the center sill of the railcar to remove draft gear units which might be jammed within the center sill.
Yet another type prior art draft gear removal apparatus utilizes a scissors type portable or movable lifting apparatus having three wheels mounted outboard the base with one wheel being steerable to guide the apparatus about and possibly having a swivel top on the upper surface of the lifting apparatus.
This prior art draft gear removal apparatus lacks any means to compress a draft gear for the removal thereof from the center sill of a railcar.
Still yet another prior art draft gear removal apparatus utilizes a scissors type lifting apparatus having four wheels secured outboard the base thereof extending entirely therebelow.
This prior art draft gear removal apparatus also lacks a draft gear removal apparatus to compress a draft gear for the removal thereof from the center sill of a railcar.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,471,901 a load-lifting apparatus utilizing duplicate transversely-registered, fourlink pantograph lifting mechanisms is shown having four wheels secured within the base of the lifting mechanism with portions of the wheels extending above the base of the lifting mechanism and with two of the wheels being steerable for guiding the load-lifting apparatus during transport operations.